Sunday, January 22, 2017

The key points of the program of Benoît Hamon – The World

The candidate arrived at the head of the first round of the primary offers a cocktail mixing universal income, institutional reforms and environmental measures.

This is the surprise of the first round : Benoît Hamon is at the top of the primary to the left, Sunday, 22 January, with 36.3% of votes, according to the latest results given by the socialist Party. The former minister has succeeded to impose its ideas at the end of a blitz. Here are the key actions of its programme, which have attracted a number of voters on the left.

The universal income, its emblematic measure

This is the key idea of Benoît Hamon : put in place a universal income of existence. The candidate has undoubtedly succeeded in making it one of the major subjects of debate of the primary, forcing his opponents to take a position on the issue. And the criticisms of these latter, on the form as the substance, have obviously not been enough to discredit the candidate, even though he has several times amended the terms of its proposal in the last days before the vote.

But does it really ? In fact, it is not a question of a “universal income” for all the French in a first time. The candidate first count put in place, starting in 2018, a RSA redesigned, which would be increased by approximately 10% to reach € 600 per month and would be paid unconditionally to all right holders. The young people from 18 years to 25 years (about 6 million people) would affect them the same income, without condition of resources.

The prospect of putting in place a true universal income without condition of 750 euros for all French citizens over the age of 18 is, in turn, referred to a distant horizon : ” term “, or after the holding of a ” great conference citizen “, but not necessarily before 2022.

institutional Reforms, environment, social issues… major themes of the campaign

Behind its flagship measure, we find three major campaign themes in the program of Benoît Hamon. On the political level, it is so beautiful to institutional reforms. He wants to limit the use of article 49.3, which allows to pass a law without a vote of the parliamentarians – only text budget and establish a ” 49.3 citizen “. He would also like to acknowledge the white vote, impose a non-cumulation of mandates in time, grant the right to vote to foreigners in local elections, introduce a dose of proportional representation in legislative elections or return to the seven-year term non-renewable.

Second thrust of the campaign : the environment. The former minister of national education wants to develop a system of environmental taxes, including the VAT. He also wants to fight against animal abuse, get out of the diesel, by 2025, reduce the share of nuclear in electricity production to 50 % and close the power plants at-risk in end-of-life. Finally, he proposed to fight against food waste and the fight against endocrine disrupting chemicals, and pesticides.

the Last great theme developed : issues of society. He wants to create a police of discrimination, legalising active euthanasia, protect whistleblowers, allow medically assisted procreation (PMA) to women and couples of women. The candidate also wants to legalize the consumption of cannabis.

Read also : In the midst of the campaign, Benoît Hamon planes (and then resets) its “universal income”

On the economy, a break with the quinquennium Holland, and a certain blur

Two and a half years after he was ousted from government in August 2014, against the backdrop of political disagreements with François Hollande, Benoît Hamon has carried a project to break with the quinquennium. He wants to repeal the law work, the last major reform of the mandate. It also proposes raising the minimum wage by 10 %, to encourage the reduction of working time under the thirty-five hours, with a law ” unconditional “ the part-time, or even to reform the income tax by merging it with the generalized social contribution (CSG) and making it more progressive.

The candidate also wants a moratorium on the european budgetary pact, which lays down the rule of 3 % of public deficit not to exceed. But it does not bend to the exercise of costing of its project on the economic plan, unlike many candidates. The cost and/or the expected benefits of most of his measures are not detailed, and he gives no framing overall budget – it is not known, for example, if he wants the State budget to return under the 3 % public deficit or not in the course of its mandate.

in international politics, finally, is a theme little developed in his program, with the exception for example of the recognition of the palestinian State.